Catching Boulders
by Firefly Fairy In A Bottle
Summary: Sequel to Break My Fall. Green is caged in. Red is twisted. Blue is misinterpreted. Vio is reckless. Shadow is bitter. Zelda is pressured. And Vaati is forgotten. AU, RedxBlue, VioxShadow, GreenxZelda. Cancelled.
1. Green ll Telling

**AN- So… I'm back. It's really unexpected, and kinda sudden, but I'm back. I thought it would take a **_**year**_** for me to return to BMF, but it only took three months.**

**I guess it's like when you don't really break up with someone, but you just kinda drift apart. And you still think about them a lot, and you still love them, but you wanna focus on other fando—er, people. And then one day you're reunited and you're all like, "OMIGOSH I MISSED YOU SOOOO MUCH!"**

**Either way, let's get started.**

Green usually isn't at a loss for words. In fact, he's not quite sure if he's at a loss for words now. But this is a face he hadn't expected to see so soon… at least, not directly in front of him. Sure, there are plenty of things he wants to say, but everything he thinks of sounds either to sudden or too silly. But Green knows he can't just stand here, biting back his words.

"…You got your hair cut."

Well, it's true, and that's at least a start. Vaati's straight-as-a-board lavender hair, once going three-and-a-half inches down his back, is cropped at his chin. And that isn't all that's changed. In the two months, Vaati has gone from King of the Round Table to a lowly peasant. More importantly, he's gone from demanding and snobby to timid and melancholy. Green hardly hears Vaati speak anymore, and when he does, Vaati's voice is shaky and lacks its usual bite.

It's nice, but still a bit unsettling.

Vaati's downcast eyes—a deep, chocolaty brown—drift upwards, toward Green. "Yeah. I did." Vaati's trying to sound bitter (Green can tell), but there's a twinge of distress mixed in, and it all evens out to him sounding vaguely stern.

Green feels oddly calm, but that doesn't change how awkward this all is. "It looks nice," he says, and he's pretty sure he means it. After all, he never really did understand why Vaati decided to grow his hair out so much. For boy, it just seemed really odd.

Pink nips at Vaati's cheeks, and Green wants to take his words back. Vaati's eyes flit back to his gym shoes. "Um… thanks, I guess."

Green stays silent. He doesn't say, _'No problem,'_ because, in truth, it _is _a problem. This situation is already awkward enough. Why does he have to be reminded of Vaati's feelings for him? Not that Green has a problem with gays—most of his friends are bisexual at the least—he just has very, _very_ mixed feelings about Vaati being in love with him. It's even more mixed now that he has a girlfriend—Zelda, his dream girl, no less.

It was a lot to take in, and it's still a lot to look back on. Green finds himself inching backwards, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable about this whole situation.

But Vaati speaks again before he can get away. "So how's _Zelda_?" Green hasn't heard that venomous bite in a long time. A chill of nostalgia courses through him, making him shiver.

"_Vaa_ti…," he scolds, not meeting the other's eyes. He can feels them burning into his forehead, though; and the desperateness he's sure Vaati is staring at him with almost scares him.

"What?" Vaati says in a high voice, and Green is too embarrassed to figure out if this innocence is feigned. "I'm just _asking_…"

"I… um." He swallows the lump forming in his throat, because Vaati is _not _allowed to push him around anymore. "_Vaati_. Stop it." He looks up and finally locks eyes with Vaati. His eyes are so blank, it's almost eerie. But it's not, because he's stopped caring about Vaati's well-being.

At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.

**AN- There, have your first short little chapter. Awkward times and we've hardly begun! Hooray!**

**On a completely different note, do any of you guys watch ChuggaaConroy? NintendoCapriSun? ProtonJon? Lucahjin? JoshJepson? AttackingTucans? Freaking **_**TheRunawayGuys**_**?! Because I'm really getting into LPers lately, and I really need someone to fangirl with. (Only halfway through Chuggaa's first LP, but I've watched all of TheRunawayGuys.)**


	2. Red ll Don't

_There he is._

"Blue!" Red cries, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck. He buries his face in Blue's shoulder, grinning as he takes in the familiar peppermint scent. He hardly cares that they're lingering at the edge of the courtyard, by the benches, where everyone can see them. He's just happy to see Blue.

Blue ruffles his hair, making Red stifle a giggle. "Morning, Velvet. Missed me, huh?" And then Red _does_ giggle, because he loves it when Blue calls him "Velvet." Shadow and Green egged him on about it for the first week, labeling it a "pet name." Blue resented it, but it wasn't until Red told them to cut it out that they listened.

Red takes a step back, his arms still loosely looped around Blue's neck. "I haven't seen you since _Thursday_!"

"That's three days, Red." _Three days I could have been with you._

"It still feels like a long time to me!" Red insists, still smiling wildly.

Blue rolls his eyes, but Red can see his smile.

Red's arms fall to his sides, and he slides onto the bench, next to Blue. "Anyways, I had an idea—"

"This again?"

"—and I wanted to tell you about it."

"Okay, what is it?"

To Red goes on to explain, in great detail, his idea to Blue. He feels a lightness in his chest as he glances at Blue, because he's suddenly aware of how _alone _they are. Green has flute sectionals, Vio went to the library, and Shadow went with him. With that on his mind, Red's words rush out with waterfall energy. _We can just talk to each other and be together. It's so easy._

At last, Blue has to cut him off. "Red, slow down. I can't listen that fast."

Red can't stop smiling. "Sorry, I'm just so happy!"

Blue gives him a lopsided smile in return. "Because you're with me?"

Red's head bobs up and down in agreement. _Of course that's why I'm happy. Why else would I be happy?_

A quiet sigh escapes Blue. "What on Earth would you do without me…?"

Part of inner-Red jumps, because it's a startling question, '_what would he do without Blue?'_ Before Blue he had no friends. He was sad and lonely and scared and if someone threatened him, he didn't know what to do with himself. _I always count of Blue to be there… and if he just suddenly __**wasn't**__…_

"Red?"

This time Red really _does _jump. At that moment in time, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts and emotions that he had felt _truly_ alone. _No Blue, no anyone. Just me._

But when Red looks up (he hadn't realized his gaze had drifted to the concrete), he meets Blue's eyes, which are burning into him with a certain wary rawness. Red shivers, because he's suddenly reminded that stuff like that doesn't matter right now. Blue matters.

_Just Blue._

He forces a smile back onto his face.

"I don't know."


	3. Blue ll Stay

**AN- "Firefly, what's been distracting you?" you ask. Sim dates and Earthbound, my friends. Sim dates and Earthbound. (By the way I really need someone to ship Jeff and Poo with me. Yes, I'm quite evil.)**

Blue is angry. Blue is _so_ angry. …Well, Blue is angry a lot, but today he's _especially_ angry. Today he's simply _seething_ with rage.

…Why? _Why?_ Well, guess who got detention? A_gain_.

Blue wants to slam his head against the desk, he's so angry. But _no_—if he does that, either _a)_ he'll get more detention, _b)_ he'll get shipped off to the loony bin, or _c)_ he'll be taken away to anger management classes (which—_for the record_—Blue does not need). So he just sits there, shuts his mouth, and stares at the wall.

Oh, yeah—did he mention that he's in detention right now? Because he is, and it sucks. He could be with his friends right now, eating lunch, but he's not. He's stuck staring at a blinding white wall instead.

"Blinding," and "white." Those two words really fit Blue's mood right now—as in "blinding, white-hot rage." He really wishes he could be with Green and Vio and Shadow and _Red_ right now, but the world decided to throw him a curveball. Just his luck.

It was hardly even his _fault_! He didn't _mean_ to run into Ruto… the first time. But she _clearly_ threw that basketball in his face on _purpose_. So what if he had shoved her only two minutes afterwards? _She_ started it! That stupid blue-haired, bratty, spoiled-brat captain of the swim team…! **(1)**

And _no_, Blue doesn't need to learn how to control his temper. He's _perfectly_ in control of his emotions, thank you very much. He doesn't need a stupid therapist to tell him to close his eyes and count to ten. He's already tried that. It doesn't work.

And even if he _did_ need help, he wouldn't ask for it. Blue is too good for them. They'd probably screw him up; turn him into some goody-two-shoes. Blue doesn't want that. He's awesome the way he is.

Not that goody-two-shoes are _bad_. Red could easily be classified as a goody-two-shoes (Green is also a contender, mind you), but Blue loves him nonetheless. Red calms him, and he hardly ever finds himself getting angry around the boy. In a way, Blue figures that Red _is_ his therapist, in a strange sense.

Red is all of the anger management he needs, and it had damn right better stay that way.

**AN- Ahem. So... if anyone's up for that Jeff/Poo thing... Man, I'd love you FOREVER.  
**

**(1)- This might need some explanation. All of the characters in this AU… are… well, not human, 'cause I'd like to keep the pointy ears… Hylian, then. So Ruto is a blue-haired Hylian who's an extremely good swimmer. Captain of the swim team, in fact.**


	4. Vio ll Anything

**AN- Today I have some special stuff for you guys~!**

**Green: 7,797**

**Red: 6,630**

**Blue: 7,145**

**Vio: 8,748**

**Shadow: 7,689**

"**What is this?" you ask. Well, it's the word count for each of the Links! I actually expected Shadow to get the most… and Green to get the least. Boy really surprised me there. Either way, why don't we get started, hmm?**

His fingers hardly grazing the milky white of the wooden bench, Vio gazes over Shadow's shoulder. "Having trouble with that?"

The sound that comes out of Shadow can_not _be described as masculine. It's a squeal more than anything, and Vio stifles a chuckle at its girlishness. Shadow's cheeks turn a satisfying shade of red, and he glares at Vio, his lips twitching up into a smile. "Yes, actually," he says as soon as he's calmed down. He pats the empty bench next to him. "Help, please?"

Vio grins and sits down next to him. His eyes flitting to the paper, he frowns at the sight of red ink on typed black-and-white. "So what is it?"

Shadow doesn't miss a beat. "Blue's English paper."

Vio lets out the smallest of sighs. "I should have known..." After a quick glance to his side, Vio notices that Blue is absent. "Speaking of which, where _is_ Blue?"

Naturally, Red is the first to speak. "He has lunch detention," exasperation chips through his voice's sugary mask, "…_again_."

Vio shakes his head. How on Earth does Red manage to put up with a boy like Blue? Hot-headed, stubborn, aggressive, and not to mention a total idiot. And then Vio shifts in his seat, because he knows he's not giving Blue enough credit. He's generous, brave, and fiercely protective (though that doesn't make him any smarter).

And _maybe _ Vio's being a hypocrite, because Shadow can be that way sometimes, too. Sure, he's smarter than Blue, but when it comes down to it, his "good intentions," can be more like, "intentions for my own amusement." Of course, Shadow is sweet despite his mischievousness, but Vio knows that not everyone sees Shadow through his eyes. After all, Shadow was the first person to _ever _befriend Vio—the first person to ever believe that there was more to him than "that anti-social freak." Shadow was the first person to ever try to get past Vio's thick shell, and the first one to ever succeed.

"Vio?"

Vio turns to Shadow once more, trying not to grin. "Yes?"

Shadow holds the paper out. "Help?" he reminds.

Taking the paper, Vio nods. "Of course." Scanning the page, he wants to groan at Blue's grammar, but he holds it back.

Anything for Shadow, right?

**AN- Uggggh now I'm in a really crappy mood. I'm actually mostly updating this because hearing from you guys ALWAYS makes me feel better. Anyways, more extras!**

**So I made some graphs of some traits of the characters, and I thought you might enjoy them. Just some extra knowledge—some FYI.**

**From Mistrusting to Trusting**

**Vio: Now you guys already know Vio doesn't trust others easily. He's really afraid to open up to people, because he thinks it will directly affect how successful he is in life. He's put up a **_**very**_** thick wall between him and everyone else.**

**Blue: He's just always kinda paranoid about everyone. Last time he had friends, it ended in him getting picked on.**

**Zelda: She's smart about who she trusts. If she likes someone, she'll trust them. If she doesn't like them, she won't trust them. Pretty simple, but it can change depending on the situation.**

**Vaati: Vaati's hot and cold with this. If he doesn't like someone, he's very stubborn about not trusting them. If he **_**likes**_** them, however… he trusts them **_**infinitely**_**. Now he only trusts Green and one other person this way. The only person who falls in between is Blue.**

**Shadow: Believes that everyone at least deserves a chance, but that chance doesn't always last long.**

**Red: Just like Shadow, but that chance lasts a lot longer, and sometimes a second chance will be added in.**

**Green: Isn't it obvious? Green trusts almost everyone by default. It takes a **_**huge**_** screw-up for him to turn his back on someone.**


	5. Shadow ll Promise

**AN- I wrote this in my school planner, haha. XD You should see how filled up the little margins are.**

As soon as Shadow hears the word, "partner," he smiles wildly. This is perfect—no, more than perfect. This project is going to be easy with one of his best friends by his side. His gaze drifts a few seats ahead, and he sees his excitement reflected on Red's face. It's clear they're thinking the same thing—_Let's be partners._

"Now," Mr. Strudwick continues, "Get in pairs so I can record all of this…" His gaze drifts down to his notebook, and as soon as he looks up Shadow has reached Red's side. Mild surprise flashes over his face, but Shadow just grins and gives Red's hand a quick squeeze. Red squeezes back, and Shadow's grin grows just a bit wider.

Mr. Strudwick looks left and right, occasionally stopping to glance at his notebook and scribble something down. Students scramble to get their ideal pick, and the room is full of chattering. Ralph and Agitha pair up almost as fast as Red and Shadow did, and they wave at Shadow despite being in the pair of desks behind him. Saria pairs up with Mido, who's turning a bright red. Shadow sees both Cawlin and Pipit head towards Karane, but she approaches Malon before either of them can make a move.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shadow catches a glimpse of lavender. He turns, only for his dark blue eyes to lock with Vaati's honey brown. As Vaati looks away, Shadow briefly wonders who on _Earth _would want to be partners with the former demon king. That is, until he spots Fado nearby, gently nudging Vaati's shoulder. _Traitor,_ he thinks as he turns around, but deep down he knows Fado is up to something. It's the only thing he can be sure of with that girl.

Trying to lift his spirits, he turns back to Red. By the way his lips are twitching, he can tell it's working. "This is gonna be so much fun," he says, lips curling up into a small smile.

Red smiles, and that gets Shadow's small smile to erupt into a larger one. "I know!" Red agrees. "I mean, it'll still be work, but with you it'll be _fun_ work!"

Shadow nods happily, but his eyes impulsively dart back to Vaati and Fado. When he looks back, confusion is written all over Red's face. "I can't believe Fado is Vaati's partner," he says, hoping that it's a valid explanation.

Red looks surprised, and within fractions of a second he's staring at the pair in the back of the room. When he turns back to Shadow, something in his confused stare has frozen over. "That's weird," he says slowly.

Shadow picks up his pencil. Turning it over in his hand, he clutches it tightly. "I know. I mean, Fado _is _weird, but she's_ nice_." He pauses, then adds, "I should know," as an afterthought.

Red is quiet for a second or two before saying softly, "You won't ever end up like Vaati, right? I mean, I don't think you will, but… Fado, and…" He trails off, staring at his jeans, but Shadow knows what he means.

But on the other hand… what would have caused Red to think that?

"_What? _Red, no! Of course not."

Red smiles, his gaze softening as he looks back up at Shadow. "Promise?" he whispers, and it's as if he's prodding Shadow with his words; nudging him in the right direction. He's not _forcing_ Shadow to be nice, he's merely _suggesting_ it.

Shadow smiles, because Red is too nice for his own good, and he's not sure Red even knows it. "I promise."

**AN- Ahhh yes. More extras!**

**From Doubtful to Confident (about their decisions)**

**Red- Red's problem isn't that he hates himself, it's that he has a **_**lot**_** trouble making decisions. He's definitely the type to waver between his options, mostly because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or because both options are **_**ohmigosh so great**_**. Even once he's decided, he wonders if it was the right choice. Some might say he needs to get a grip.**

**Green- Green really hates deciding between two things, especially when someone's feelings are at stake. That's why he was reluctant to give up Vaati. And as you know, if he feels he's made a wrong choice, he'll try to change back (unlike Red, who just worriedly wonders about what he's done).**

**Vaati- Vaati… was difficult to place on this scale. Back when he was king, he was **_**extremely**_** confident in most of his decisions, but that's because he had the student body wrapped around his finger. But on his own… Vaati just doesn't know what he's supposed to do. He'll do something, and tell himself that it was the right decision, even if he really isn't sure.**

**Shadow- Shadow is **_**right smack in the middle of this**_**. Sometimes he sure of himself, sometimes he's not so sure. His confidence wavers. He just has a shy side, I suppose.**

**Zelda- Zelda has to be fairly confident in her decisions. It's part of running for student council… right? Well, when it comes to decisions about her school, she's very confident. Everyday decisions? Fine. But if drama erupts, the pressure is **_**on**_**. Big time.**

**Blue- Blue acts like he's always confident in his decisions—and a lot of the time, he is. But not **_**always**_**. He has his moments—quite a few of them.**

**Vio- Have you guys noticed that even when drama breaks out, Vio always seems to know what he's doing? Vio's always convince that what he's doing is the right thing—or that it's not **_**bad**_**, at the least.**


	6. Zelda ll Mumbles

**AN- And here I thought I would be able to get a lot done over the break… I promise I'll upload more Catching Boulders next week! For now, have Zelda's first chapter! If this seems a bit cheery, it's probably because I'm drinking orange mango soda and listening to Pandora Radio.**

As soon as Zelda opens the door, a little bell goes off. Behind tables and chairs and babbling teenagers, Zelda sees her mother glance towards the door. Her face lights up, and it doesn't take long for her to reach Zelda's side. Naturally, "How was your day?" are the first words to come out of her mouth.

Zelda smiles. She tends to take such parental advances to heart. "It was nice," she begins as her mother leads her to an empty table. "Vio and Shadow visited the library again, so Mrs. Hoppes belittled me about talking to them to much…," she sits, "again."

Taking the other seat, Mrs. Sahagun grins. "And how is Green…?"

Zelda shakes her head in exasperation, but she's secretly suppressing a smile. She knows her mother cares about Vio and Shadow (her shining eyes tell Zelda she's listening)—she just loves hearing about Green. She might even be a bit concerned, considering it's only been two months since Green… since Green… "He's pretty upbeat. He was passing notes with Vio in Algebra again. They think I don't know."

Zelda's mom laughs, and Zelda knows she's free to continue. "We were also assigned a project in History." She takes a strand of silky blonde hair, wrapping it around her finger. "A partner project. So I paired up with Green."

"That sounds nice. Will he be stopping by often? I'd love to check up on him." Her eyes are shining again, but Zelda has a feeling she just wants to make sure he's alright.

Either way, Zelda nods. "Yes, he will." She cranes her head to the staircase in the back of the room, acquiring a sudden desire for peace and quiet. She looks back to his mother, trying not to smirk. "Don't you have customers to attend to?"

Mrs. Sahagun pouts. "_Zelda_, sweetie…"

Zelda gives her mom her best, _don't-look-at-me-like-that-you-should-be-working-look_. Her mother scowls and rises from her seat. The seat makes an awful screeching sound as it's pushed back in, and then Zelda's mother has disappeared in the crowd of tables and delicious smells.

As soon as she gone, Zelda almost leaps from her seat. She makes sure to lift up her chair just a bit as she puts it back in place, before rushing to the stairs. She quickly makes her way up, and by the time she's reached the top, she's already pulled her key out of her bag. She jabs it into the lock and twists. She pokes her head through the doorway, hardly surprised at what she sees.

Stepping through the doorway, she takes in the sight—Sheik yapping into the phone, her harp leisurely laying on her lap **(1)**; and Tetra kneeling by the coffee table, scribbling something (probably a treasure map) onto a piece of paper. It's a typical sight, but Zelda feels like she should take it in anyways.

She clears her throat.

Sheik and Tetra regard her with a quick, harmonious, "Hi Zelda," before returning to what they were doing.

Zelda could care less. She turns and speed walks to her room. She opens the door, only to close it behind her a second later. Her messenger bag drops to the floor, and she goes to her closet. It's a big closet—one of the ones with the sliding doors—and that means that she can hide a lot of stuff inside of it. Clasping the handle, she slides it open. A pile of notebooks are stacked in the corner. She snatches the first one, holding it tightly. She sets it on her bed, before coming back to the closet to gingerly pick up a GameBox. She takes it to her TV, and within a minute it's set up and ready to go.

Going back to the closet, she slides one side of it open, only to open the other. A shelve takes up this half of the closet. Zelda browses through the cartridges and cases, before stopping and pulling _Super Vico Daylight_ off of the shelf.

She looks to the case, then to the TV, then to the yellow notebook with _Super Vico Daylight_ neatly written on the front, then to the door.

She walks over and locks it.

"Now where was I…," she mumbles, smiling.

**AN- Bet you didn't see that one coming. To clarify, Zelda is a closet gamer. Compare to all of the closet gays in BMF. XD**

**(1)- Well _technically_ Sheik is a girl... The Brawl manual says so!  
**

**Now on to special extra stuff!**

**From Low to High Self- Esteem**

**Vaati: Vaati **_**hates**_** himself. Not just now, but for some time before that, as well. Vaati became "the king," because Blue made him realize he was gay. Vaati saw the disgust, saw the rumors erupting about him, and became **_**furious**_**. He just wanted to be a normal kid, but **_**no**_**. Blue had to go and screw it up. He hated himself for not being "normal," and started taking it out on others. When Green came around, he came to terms with it, but he quickly became power hungry. Now that he looks back on it, he hates himself even more.**

**Shadow: This isn't shocking, right? Right? I don't think it should be… Anyways, Shadow has quite the history of ex-friends. Yep, seven evil ex-friends(if you were to count Vio, which I shouldn't be). Shadow **_**should**_** have a trust issue… but he's just too optimistic for his own good. Deep down, he's still not sure if his friends like him. He never really is. One of his worst fears would probably be not being good enough.**

**Green: Green definitely feels a lot better about himself now that he has friends, but there are still… complications. I mean his parents, still sort of blaming himself for the whole Vaati thing, and… other stuff. Wow, I'm being vague.**

**Vio: Vio has quite the habit of blaming others for his mistakes. Imagine what he was like as a kid… Okay, now I feel bad for Katie and Nathan. I don't think Vio hates himself, but if he is, he's in denial about it.**

**Zelda: Zelda is pretty happy with herself. She's proud of her abilities, but she's pretty humble about it. She is a bit ashamed of one thing, though… You see, she's sort of the black sheep of her family. I'll explain some other time.**

**Blue: Blue's confidence isn't a mask… well, mostly. Yeah, he does have an ego, but there are times when he just **_**despises**_** himself. Buuuuut mostly he's just a cocky jerk.**

**Red: Well, isn't this a shocker? Red never really hated himself—he just hated his shyness. One specific trait. He was raised to love himself, and that's exactly what he does. Especially now that he's overcome his shyness.**


	7. Vaati ll Weaker

Vaati stares in the mirror. A pair of brown eyes stare back. The color is eating him up—it's mucky and grey and reminds Vaati of the dirt he used to kick into first-graders' faces when he was younger. He tried putting on eyeliner yesterday; to see if the pitch black would bring out the color's true brightness. It didn't help.

Vaati's hand instinctively grazes over a pair of kitchen scissors—the pair he stole, before running into his bathroom, locking the door, and chopping off about a foot of his lilac hair. He looks to the scissors, before gingerly picking them up. He could do anything, really—cut his hair shorter, give himself full-on bangs… Heck, he could even dye his hair. His mom left some hair dye in her bathroom cabinet (a deep, chestnut brown, a color Vaati always admired).

Vaati's mom left a lot of things.

Muddy brown eyes scan the scissors, before pale hands set it back on the counter. Vaati knows he's just fooling himself. After cutting his hair once, he hardly has the desire to do it again. Rather, he'd just like to stand here and stare at the scissors all day, letting them eat up his thoughts and shred them to pieces. Vaati's thankful for that, because sometimes he can act like such an idiot.

Truly, Vaati knows why he decided to cut his hair. Everything is just so… mundane. Boring. Plain. He _needed_ some sort of change, and for a moment he hadn't cared what it was. He just needed _something_—an escape from all the silence and deadpanned glares.

(And maybe that's it. Maybe this is the closet high-and-mighty Vaati will ever get to self-destruction.)

What had driven Vaati to actually _do it_, though, was the very idea that maybe someone would speak a single word to him. But if Vaati's going to be honest, it wasn't the idea of _anyone_. It was the very idea of _Green_ speaking a single word to him, and he knows it. (It wasn't one word, by the way. It was fourteen. Vaati knows it was creepy to count, but his brain went on auto-pilot and he couldn't stop.)

Vaati's train of thought (or train of thought shredding?) is brought to a halt when he hears his father calling for him. He hears the word, "dinner," mixed in there, and he gives the scissors one last glance before picking them up and stuffing them into the nearest drawer. Quickly, he turns on his heel and leaves the room.

His dad is waiting for him in the kitchen, food already on the table. Penne pasta for dinner. They haven't had penne pasta in weeks, despite having boxes of it in the cupboard. Vaati knows why, but he doesn't bring it up. But as he sits down at the table, the thought crosses his mind.

Today is the first time they've had penne pasta—his mom's favorite food—since she…

Since she…

Muddy brown eyes scan over parmesan, silverware, and memories that are growing weaker.

**AN- Finally I get to write a Vaati chapter! This is a very happy moment for me... **

**No extras this time—I lost the charts, and I'm out of ideas.**


	8. Green ll Pleasantly

_"Okay, Green. Let's talk."_

_ "Talk," Green repeated, hesitantly._

_ "__**Talk.**__"_

_ "About what?" Green feigned cluelessness. He knew damn well what needed to be talked about. Problem was, it was a subject that Green really didn't feel like discussing._

_ "You need to stop being such a pushover, Green! I can't stand up for you forever!"_

_ "You mean you're just gonna __**stop**__?" He wasn't that cruel, was he? He had his fiery moments, sure, but never…_

_ "If that's what I have to do."_

_ Green winced._

"Green? Um, Green?"

"Huh?" The shock of being thrown back into reality was too fast for Green, and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the sting pounding against his skull.

"You kinda spaced out," Red said immediately, the age-old question of, _"What happened?"_ becoming unnecessary.

Green bites his lip, staring at the apple he holds in his hands. The stem is gone—he twisted it off, trying to get to the letter _Z_. He hasn't succeeded yet, but he will someday. "Sorry guys. I'm just a little distracted today."

Green looks up just in time to see Zelda's brow furrow. "This isn't about Vaati, is it?" she murmurs.

Green's thumbnails pierce the skin of his apple. Is he really that transparent? "Maybe…," he mumbles.

Zelda frowns. "Is he bothering you?" she asks warily.

"Well, _yes_…," Green says, but adds, "B-but not in a mean way!" when he takes in Zelda's expression—distressed, worried, and full of doubt.

"I wouldn't put it above him," Blue says, glaring up at the sky. He must have finished his lunch at least five minutes ago.

Green sighs, "Yeah, I know." He also knows that Vaati still has good in him, but he doesn't bring it up. After all, Blue knows that better than anyone.

"How _has_ he been acting, exactly?" Shadow wonders, leaning forward in anticipation of the answer.

Green shrugs. He really doesn't want his friends to worry so much, because it's _not_ a big deal. "I dunno. He talked to me during PE… He got his hair cut…"

"We noticed," Shadow throws in.

"He seemed kinda jealous about Zelda and all, but it's fine, really."

Green's friends don't seem convinced. Their expressions range from concerned to exasperated. Green frowns.

At last, Vio speaks up. "Green… are you," a deafening pause, "_over_ Vaati?" The others stare at Green expectantly, as if they hadn't found the nerve to ask the question themselves.

"G-_guys_!" Green cries. He feels his cheeks turn pink, and silently he hopes the others don't notice. "We were never _together_."

Vio gives him a look. "You know what I meant, Green."

"Well _you_ already know the answer to that question!"

Zelda's hand finds its way to Green's shoulder. "Green, calm down." That doesn't take much effort, because as soon as Green's eyes meet Zelda's, he feels the flustered energy rush out of him. "What Vio means is," she hesitates, "are you still giving into Vaati? Like you used to?"

Green finds himself taken aback by the question. "O-of course not! Remember the way I stood up to him in the cafeteria?"

"When you were mad with rage?" Blue cuts in.

"Look who's talking!" Green all but shouts out. Blue looks enraged, but a tug on his sleeve from Red calms him down enough to keep him in his seat. Green continues eagerly. "What I'm saying is, things are different now. I know what I'm doing, and I'm _not_ going to let him take advantage of me _ever_ again!"

The five of them exchange worried looks, before turning to Green and giving him assorted nods and affirmations.

Green is pleasantly surprised.


	9. Red ll Ease

The sound of pencil on paper is always welcome to Red's ears—a gentle _scritch, scritch_ that fills him with joy. That simple, peaceful sound always puts Red in a state of ease, no matter what the circumstance. _At least, I hope so. There are plenty of circumstances I haven't experienced yet._ Red believes that no matter what, this sound will soothe him.

Yes, it goes without saying that art class is Red's favorite time of the day.

"I am _so_ sorry, Ms. Ketchum!" **(1)**

Red smiles to himself. The voice is familiar. He _knew_ Ruto was at school today. This isn't the first time she's been late—at this point, she's on the verge of a detention. Red isn't happy about _that_, though. _I'm happy because she's __**here**__._

In less than a minute Ruto is grinning, heading to the back of the room with her white leather bag slung over her shoulder. She slides into the desk next to Red, and he glances up from his paper, smiling at her.

"Hi Red," she greets, setting a large sheet of paper onto the table. A checker pattern is splashed across half of the otherwise-empty white canvas. Red gives a quick glance at his own complex floral pattern, hardly resisting the urge to grin like an idiot. _I'm pretty proud of myself, to be honest. _ Instead, he looks back to Ruto, who's sharpening her pencil and eying him wildly. "Got off scott-free."

Red tries not to smile, showing disapproval. He knows it isn't working. "Again?"

Ruto looks over her shoulder, as if someone might be eavesdropping. "I was adding an extra protective layer to my nails. I did them yesterday."

Red meets her eyes as a simple, _"Let me see."_

Ruto holds out her hands for Red to look at. Her fingernails—long and smooth and rounded—are painted a dark blue, with assorted stars, and a crescent moon on one thumb. _Lucky._ Red has always been a bit jealous of girls like Ruto—nail art can be really pretty if done right. _And Ruto __**definitely **__knows what she's doing._ This isn't the first time she's done her nails. She does them few weeks—watermelons, rhinestones, marbled, stripes, polka-dots. She's never failed to impress Red.

"I can see why you'd want to protect those," he says as Ruto turns back to her checkers.

"Thanks. They're for the dance."

Red hardly hides his smile. "The dance…," he echoes. School dances at Red's school are great. There's music, a DJ, punch, snacks, light shows, and of course dancing. The Halloween dance will be Red's first time going, but Green told him all about it. _It's going to be so great going there with friends, _Green had said when he e-mailed him. _**Real**__ friends, I mean. Plus I won't have to have an internal war every time a slow song comes on. I can actually dance with Zelda for real. =)_ It's not just _Red's_ first time going, though. Blue, Vio, and Shadow have never gone, either, which isn't a surprise.

"So Red," Ruto begins, smirking slightly, "what's the scoop?"

Red smiles a real, genuine smile. This is why he likes talking with Ruto—she listens, and she's actually interested. _But who wouldn't be interested in a bit of gossip?_ "Well, this is just what I heard, so don't go spreading it around or anything, but…"

He starts off simple—Cawlin asked Karane out, which prompted Pipit to do the same. No word yet on who Karane's chosen. Apparently Ralph and Mido have both chosen the same costume to wear for the Halloween dance, and both refuse to choose a different one. _Speaking_ of Ralph, somebody supposedly saw him kissing Agitha (Red wouldn't be surprised). Vaati got a haircut, the Know-It-All Brothers are fighting, and Midna—

"Hey, Red?"

Red looks up from a tangle of grayscale flowers and vines. "Huh? Oh. Y-yes, Malon?"

"Can I borrow your pencil sharpener?"

Red's gaze darts from his cherry-red pencil sharpener to Malon's orange-red hair. "Oh! Yes!" He quickly and swiftly hands it to her. She begins to turn away, but stops when she's halfway there—at a perfect profile to Red. _She really is pretty. It's too bad about what people say—she's more than just "some girly hick."_

"Oh, and Red?"

"Y-eees?" Red says, dragging the word out.

"What about you and Blue?"

"Huh?"

"Have you been fighting, I mean? Not that I want to be nosy, but—"

"N-no, we're fine. Why're you asking?"

She looks back to him with wide, slightly frantic eyes. "I'm worried."

"Huh?" Red repeats, feeling clueless.

Malon wavers a little. "It's just, you're so nice, and Blue's so…"

"_Blue,_" Ruto finishes for her, and Malon gives an enthusiastic nod.

"What do you mean?" Red says. In another life, his anger would have flared, _"What's __**that**__ supposed to mean?!"_ spewing from his lips instead. _But I'm not like that. That's… Blue's thing._

Malon gives him an oddly wary look. "He's, I dunno… violent? Troublesome? Rude? Hot-headed?"

Red smiles a little. "He's all of those, to some extent." _But I love him through that._

Malon doesn't smile, though. She frowns, and it looks ugly on her fair face. "He's no good for you," she says simply, and it's a sharp bluntness compared to her earlier behavior. "A good boy like you should be with a boy just as good."

_Or a girl,_ Red wants to add, but doesn't.

"He doesn't deserve you, Red. You're sweet, soft-spoken, artistic. He's aggressive, loud-mouthed, and cocky. You're too good for him," she meets his eyes, giving him a stern look. "Ya got that?"

Red doesn't say anything. He can't. Everything Malon said was, in a way, true. Blue _is_ everything Malon said, and Red can't deny it. At the same time, he knows Malon isn't giving him enough credit, but then again… _Am __**I **__giving him too __**much**__ credit?_ It's not unlikely.

Malon shoves her pencil into the sharpener, twists a few times, and yanks it back out. She holds the sharpener out for Red to take, but Red's arms have gone limp. Malon sets the sharpener back on the desk, and Red just stares at it in petrified silence.

Malon turns back to her desk, leaving only the burnt orange of the back of her head in view.

Ruto clears her throat, pulling Red back into his senses. "Oh, right," he continues. "So apparently Mid—"

"She's kind of right Red."

Red looks at her, but he doesn't really see her.

"Y'know?"

Quickly and swiftly, Red averts his gaze, staring at the mess of ivy and petals on his paper. Pencil meets paper, and Red feels peaceful, but not at ease.

**AN- Um, wow. I really love how this turned out. Much longer than I expected, and really, really good. Am I right?**

**(1)- Somebody figure out the connection. I'll love you forever.**

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMET!**

**I've been looking for ways for you guys to communicate with me better. Ask questions about the story, find out what's going on, etc. So I decided to do something about it.**

**Introducing Break My Fall's tumblr blog! *trumpet noises* I've recently become a bit immersed in tumblr. I thought it would be stupid, but it's really quite fun. If you don't have an account, I strongly recommend getting one—it's a GREAT way to kill time.**

**Anyways, the blog will include behind-the-scenes, fun facts, fanart (from yours truly and others), quotes, **_**maybe**_** some sneak previews… But most importantly, questions! Even if you don't have a tumblr, you can still ask plenty of questions about me and the story! I'll answer most questions, as long as they aren't rude or overly obscene. I think it'd be a great way for you guys to get advice and a insight on this story that I love so dearly.**

**The address is 4s-breakmyfall . tumblr . com**

**Please at least drop by and check it out! It would mean so much to me!**


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